She suffered concussion, fractured elbow, police said

Two Margate men are behind bars, accused of mugging an 82-year-old woman and snatching her purse Sunday, and it's not the first time for one of them, court records showed.

Samuel P. Elster, 54, of Margate, was arrested in 2010 for battery on a person over 65 and had just been released from jail after being convicted of beating his 76-year-old mother in October, Broward Judge John "Jay" Hurley noted at Elster's bond hearing Monday.

"You obviously have a history of being violent against older people, most recently your own mother," Hurley said. "You just got out of jail 10 days [ago] and you're allegedly being violent with [another elderly woman and] mugging her, basically."

Elster and Richard Scott Goldings, 49, were arrested and charged Sunday with robbery by sudden snatching and aggravated battery on a person over 65, Margate Police said.

The woman was walking near the Margate Village Square Shopping Center, in the 7600 block of Margate Boulevard, when Elster and Goldings flanked her from behind. She was knocked to the ground, her purse was taken and Elster ran off with Goldings close behind, according to the police report.

Father and son witnesses, both named Stephen Weber, heard the woman screaming and found her face down on the ground with a concussion, fractured elbow and other injuries, the report stated.

The elder Weber saw a barefoot man running from the area, so he called 911 and led police to an apartment near 1025 Colony Club Drive. Detectives questioned Elster and Goldings separately. Each man blamed the other for taking the purse, police said.

Goldings again tried to blame Elster during a court appearance Monday.

"Simple battery, sir, a misdemeanor [and] I have no violence on my record," Goldings said. "I can't help if somebody else wants to do a robbery."

Lawyers tried to cut him off but Goldings repeated his defense.

"I can't help it if somebody wants to rob..." he said before the jail's microphone was turned off. Then Goldings vowed to stay in jail until the charge was reduced to a misdemeanor.

Police found the purse in some bushes and $87 under Goldings' mattress, right where he said the items would be, the report stated.